S.Kannan in Paris
Call it redemption or a comeback, but to see Manu Bhaker in blazing form at the 10m air pistol range in Chateauroux on Saturday warmed the cockles of millions of Indian hearts. On a day when the shooting programme at the Paris Olympics got off to a flying start, India’s rifle shooters had disappointed.
The pressure on Manu had been very high, since the time she decided she would go her own way, with her own coach, in 2023. Her decision to train only under Jaspal Rana was scoffed at, but then everyone realised she was most comfortable with him.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and on Saturday, Manu showed the right mentality to compete in a fierce qualifying face-off. Hours and hours of practice have gone into her shooting. From the Asian Games in Hangzhou to the Paris Olympics, Manu has become a hard nut to crack. RevSportz has tracked her progress almost on a daily basis.
When she was in red-hot form during the trials in New Delhi and Bhopal, she was stressed. Even on Friday, she had shared with people close to her what the pressure of expectation is. She is not supposed to talk to the media due to a clause from the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), but when this writer spoke to her three weeks ago, she was composed. There was no fear, for her voyage is one of wanting to do well and put in her best effort. Success or failure does not bother her and such is the trust in her coach that she has left everything to his methods.
How she handled the pressure of qualification on Saturday was all the more remarkable given how she had flopped in Tokyo. There was a noticeable dip after halfway, as she finished with 96s in each of the last three series. But she did not lose her nerve.
Holding her own on the big stage and coping with fierce pressure is something she has prepared for. Not many would know that she had almost decided to give up shooting last year. That was when she went to Rana. And he agreed to coach her.
“What we have been doing in practice sessions is to handle what all scenarios can play out at the Paris Olympics,” Rana said recently. “It needed hours of practice and also focus. For Manu, the most important thing is to do things she feels comfortable in. She shot the way she should in the prelim phase, where there will be ups and downs. This will fire her up for the final on Sunday.”
He made it to Paris at the eleventh hour, courtesy efforts from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Olympic Gold Quest.
“I would say there is nothing to get too excited about, even now,” Rana told RevSportz. “The final will be a different game altogether and we have planned and prepared for it. Let one not forget, Manu has to shoot three events, and she is ready for it in Paris 2024. I repeat, she was not ready for it in Tokyo.”
One quote which stands out from many conversations with Manu is this. “Jaspal Sir brought the smile back on my face,” she said. Today, this girl brought smiles back to millions of Indian faces. A medal beckons on Sunday.